Some egg cartons have a sell-by date on them, while others have an expiration date. Neither should be taken as an indication of when eggs are no longer safe to use. Food and Drug Administration and Egg Safety Center Consent eggs are usually valid for a few weeks after the stamped date. So, how do you know when to toss the eggs? Read on to learn how to determine if your eggs are still edible.
Use period
One way to determine a reasonable use period is four to five weeks from the date the eggs were cleaned and packaged. The Department of Agriculture requires that the packaging date (the date the eggs were washed, graded and placed in the egg container) be printed on the carton for all graded eggs. You’ll usually find it near the best-by date or expiration date. It’s listed as a Julian date, so it will be a three-digit number. January 1st will be listed as 001 and December 31st will be listed as 365.
To complicate matters, the packaging date may be appended to the beginning or end of the plant number. Just look for the three digits in the sequence to get the packaging date.
Another way to determine if your eggs are sound is to water test them. In this test, fill a bowl with cold water and place your first egg in it. If the eggs sink to the bottom, they are fresh.
Store correctly
Eggs must be stored properly to achieve the above shelf life. Throw away any eggs that have an off-flavor or color—even if they haven’t reached their expected shelf life.
- Use hard-boiled eggs (shell or peeled) within a week of cooking.
- Use frozen eggs within one year. Eggs should not be frozen in the shell. To freeze whole eggs, whisk together the yolks and whites. Egg whites can also be frozen on their own.
- Refrigerate leftover hard-boiled egg dishes and use within three to four days.
The agency also recommends that if you’re refrigerating a large amount of hot leftovers containing eggs, divide it into several shallow containers so it cools quickly.
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